You Realize, Of Course, This Means War

Bob Englehart

I was born and raised in Indiana. Although I consider myself to be a Nutmegger, Connecti-cutie, Yankee Doodle, or whatever we call ourselves, much of my family still lives there and for the past 35 years, I’ve been beating a path back and forth to the Hoosier State for visits. Columnist Dan Haar said Indiana is “in the middle of nowhere” and I can’t argue that. In fact, that’s what many Hoosiers like about it. Life is simpler there and the cost of living is cheaper. When I lived there, I had plenty of progressive friends who belied the notion of Indiana as a totally red state. Look at the outcry from the conservative governor’s and legislature’s ignorant attempt to pass a law that discriminated against homosexuals under the guise of religion. You can make a long list of what Connecticut is known for, but it’s not known for intolerance as is Indiana now. On a more positive note, there’s really only one claim to fame for Indiana and that’s the Indianapolis 500. OK, maybe farms, too. But if you’re a creative person, if you like an inspiring topography of hills and valleys, like meeting incredibly creative people from all over the world, you might go a little stir crazy in Indiana. My wife and I regularly visit New York City which is two and a half hours from our home. The closest major league cities to the town I grew up in, Fort Wayne, is Chicago and Detroit, both about four hours away. There is a sense that something big is happening in Connecticut. Hey, if GE and Aetna want to re-locate to Indiana, I say buh bye. I think it’s a big mistake and their employees may never adapt, but what corporation concerned with shareholder value truly cares about its employees? It’ all about the bottom line. GE might want to move, but it won’t be because of taxes.